Thoughts on children pot

r Thoughts on Children • Christoph F. Blumhardt Johann C. Blumhardt Thoughts on Children Johann Christoph Blumhardt Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt The Plough Publishing House Please share a link to this e-book with your friends. Feel free to post and share links to this e-book, or you may e-mail or print this book in its entirety or in part, but please do not alter it in any way, and please do not post or oer copies of this e-book for download on another website or through another Internet-based download service. If you wish to make multiple hard copies for wider distribution, or to reprint portions in a newsletter or periodical, please observe the following restrictions: • Youmaynotreproduceitforcommercialgain. • Youmustincludethiscreditline:“Copyright2012by The Plough Publishing House. Used with permission.” This e-book is a publication of The Plough Publishing House, Rifton,NYandRobertsbridge,England,www.plough.com. ©2012byThePloughPublishingHouse All rights reserved. Isbn: 978-0-87486-934-7 The material in this book has been translated from the German, compiled from various sources. For bibliographic details, see the endnotes. Front cover image: Interior with Women and a Child [detail] (oil on canvas),Mathey,Paul(1844–1929)/Museed’Orsay,Paris,France/ Giraudon/TheBridgemanArtLibrary Contents Foreword vii A  B  C  YoungChildren 1  OlderChildren 27 J  C The Twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple 39 The Savior and Children 45  LettheChildrenCometoMe 59 Endnotes 69 Foreword I t is sometimes said that each child is a thought in the mind of God. But even if we believe this, and approach the children entrusted to us with the reverence that such a belief ought to instill, we mayoftenfeelhelpless–whetherinthefaceofa two-year-old’stantrum,orateenager’ssilence. In this little book, two fathers (themselves a father and son) share their thoughts on the essence of bringing up children. Both lived in Germany in an era when parents and teachers tended to be overly strict, and we live in a time when they tend to be very lenient. All the same, there is plenty in what they say that is timeless. JohannChristophBlumhardt(1805–1880) studied theology in Tübingen and became a pastor. He longed to experience the reality of vi God, and this he did in a very concrete way when he dared to take up an intense two-year battle (1842–44)withthedemonicpowersthatpossessed a tormented woman in his congregation at Möttlingen. As in New Testament times, demons were driven out, and the woman was cured. And all over Germany, Möttlingen became known for themottothatexpresseditsinhabitants’joy:Jesus is victor! In the following months, a movement of repent- ance and conversion spread far beyond his parish, and many other people were healed of physical illnesses.Somanycametohimthatin1852hefelt he had to leave Möttlingen, where he had worked withhiswifeforfourteenyears(1838–1852),and move to the large and imposing spa at Bad Boll. As housefather there, he was able to continue his growing work of caring for the thousands that cametohim–sick,wounded,andsin-ladensouls. In1920A.Albers,awriterforawell-known publishinghouse,describedthefatherBlumhardt’s life in these few telling words: vii The atmosphere in which this Swabian pastor lived with unwavering certainty was that of early Christianity and the expectation of the nal breaking in of the kingdom of God. This is where he drew his strength. In this atmosphere he helped the people of Möttlingen and Bad Boll, who turned to him day and night. His life was one uninterrupted exercise of the powers of love. Here was a man who had a part in what God was doing and who was an instrument in his hands. 1 JohannChristophBlumhardt’ssonChristoph Friedrich(1842–1919)wasraisedinthisatmosphere of expectation and the reality of the presence of God. He too studied theology at Tübingen, and thenreturnedtoBadBollin1869tohelphisfather. In1880theelderBlumhardtdied,andhisson carriedonhisfather’spastoratewithsimilargifts. Hefollowedsotrulyinhisfather’sfootstepsthat the witness they gave to Jesus and the kingdom of God was one and the same. Christoph Friedrich saw that Christians were turningthebiblicalexpectationofGod’skingdom on this earth into a waiting for their personal viii reward in heaven. He took a sharp stand against thisreligiousegoismandproclaimedGod’slove for the whole world. He saw that healing for its own sake was another great danger threatening the true surrender to the will of God, and there- fore he eventually gave up healing the sick. In a letterhewrote,“Donotlookatyourselvesand allyoursuering.LookatthesueringofGod, whose kingdom has been held up for so long because of the lying spirit of men.” The atmosphere in the household at Bad Boll isdescribedbyaguestwhovisitedin1852,shortly after the father Blumhardt had moved there with his family: Aspiritoffreshnessandjoyblowsthroughthis house, a spirit that gives a vivid impression of what the peace of God is all about, the peace that surpasses all understanding. It pervades every- thing, practical and spiritual, signicant or insig- nicant. This atmosphere aects the soul as fresh mountain air aects the body. 2 What a place for children! Here is an anecdote told by this same visitor: ix Oneeveningtherewasawomanatsupperwith her little four-year-old daughter. She was sitting nearBlumhardt,andthechildwasjustbehinda pillar. Blumhardt had sent someone to fetch the Bible, as we were waiting for the evening reading to begin. Suddenly, when everything was quiet, Blumhardt’svoicewasheard:“Peek-a-boo!Peek- a-boo!” And so he had fun with the child for a while.Thenhebrokeo,saying,“So,nowbenice and quiet, like a good little girl. We left o at the secondhalfofthesecondchapteroftheLetterto theEphesians”–whichheproceededtoread. 3 In his biography of Johann Christoph Blumhardt, Friedrich Zündel tells the following story, which alsoillustratesBlumhardt’sgreatunderstanding for children and young people: Now about that dicult age for boys, the “terribleteens”sofearedbymanyeducatorsfor its thorns and thistles. Blumhardt found the right way, especially with boys whose hearts were lled with bitterness and confusion, possibly owing to an excessively strict and pious upbringing. x Onesuchboycomplainedthathehadhadto putupwithtoomuchreligiousinstruction.On the whole he felt quite happy in the free atmos- phereofBlumhardt’shouse,buthewasstill capableofplayingallsortsoftricks.Oneday amaidcamestormingintoBlumhardt’sroom: “PastorBlumhardt,nowhewentandstolethe eggs from the hen house and put this hymnal there instead!” What did Blumhardt do? He said, “Therascalhidingintheboy’sheartisalsohiding inyours.Andbehindyouranger,aren’tyoureally enjoyingittoo?Wemustovercometheboy’s mischief in our own hearts. Just put the hymnal backinthehenhouse.Anddon’tmakeanything of it.” He told the others also to put things back as they had found them. For a long time the boy was in suspense, waiting, not without a certain impish glee, for the blowup he was sure would follow. When he realized that nobody was going to take any notice, he gave up his nonsense. The hymnal was probably ruined. But to Blumhardt, a boy was worth more. 4 [...]... went out to children and to parents, especially to parents of sick children or to those who had lost a child He and his wife had also lost two children who lived less than a day and one who died under two years old Tenderness and love for children can be strongly felt in the second part of the book, which is made up of extracts from sermons on the subject of c ­ hildren by both father and son Blumhardt... Advice on Bringing up Children Younger Children From a letter: When my children have been naughty and disobedient, I make it a rule to get them to ask their father’s forgiveness This is very easy for some, and soon they do it quite on their own; but for the others it often costs an inner struggle and considerable strictness before they can be persuaded to do it Answer: This rule of yours with your children. .. scolding, and the children become more and more confused In the end it leads to great severity and harsh punishment Dear mothers, don’t do this! This way, all that is childlike and unselfconscious in the children is destroyed, and their endearing ways are taken from them In regard to anything we ask of little children, it would be a good rule to drop our demands when the children do not respond well because... disturbed, and in order not to disturb it, those in charge of them must continually exercise self-denial in the broadest sense But just in this area the greatest mistakes are made With countless children things soon go wrong, and then later very wrong, because their happy disposition in early childhood has not been treated with consideration and reverence Instead, it has been interfered with again and again... others have imposed their personality on his No wonder many other problems arise in bringing him up!9 It is important not to disturb the happy dis­ position of children, especially of small children, because otherwise the natural development of their characters will be ruined I want to say more about this A child, as already mentioned, objects to being picked up by everyone he meets and having to submit... carrying their babies, and then came the older children Blumhardt would put his hand on each child, saying, “May the Lord bless you!” and so on down the line Of course when there was a special reason, for instance if a child was sick or had a birthday, he would say a few words in addition to this short blessing The meeting would close with another song All these songs were sung to tunes that Blumhardt had... freely because someone has been forever occupied with her, especially when several people are helping Naughtiness comes from that too Never question a child who is in this state you describe Even friendliness gets her excited, and every demand on her makes it worse So please stop asking questions straightaway as soon as no answers come, and do not insist on an answer 3 4 In bringing up children, it should... also waiting for questions that would lead to a specific theme, and I would still like to ask for questions But as none have come, I will write as it comes to me at the moment There is no lack of opportunity for experience in my house as there are numerous grand­ children growing up all around me It is particularly important that the merry, contented, and joyful disposition of one-, two-, and three-year-olds... blessed with many grandchildren – more than twenty living at Bad Boll His son Christoph Friedrich had eleven children Zündel describes how the father, Johann Christoph Blumhardt, gathered his children and grandchildren each morning about seven o’clock, before breakfast, for prayer and singing: Blumhardt’s big family gathered in a large room for devotions They were especially for the children, twenty-four... for the children, twenty-four of his own grandchildren as well as other children who had become part of the family Here Blumhardt was happy I think he looked upon these children as his bodyguard, xi xii his picked troops, and he believed in their pure, simple trust in God and what God wants to bring He prayed with them as a child among children – not as one stooping to their level, but straight and . r Thoughts on Children • Christoph F. Blumhardt Johann C. Blumhardt Thoughts on Children Johann Christoph Blumhardt Christoph. and love for children can be strongly felt in the second part of the book, which is made upofextractsfromsermons on thesubjectof  children by